Pinnacle is not just about OEM, and launches their new
"branded" baitcasting lineup

Date:

3/14/08

Tackle type:

Reels

Manufacturer:

Pinnacle

Reviewer:

Zander

Introduction: Anglers often see affordably priced Pinnacle combos
in retail store racks, but did you know the company is also a major OEM
(Original Equipment Manufacturer) of many other branded reels? Chances are you
might even own a Pinnacle/Silstar reel if you frequently buy from one of the
major catalog/e-tailers. Pinnacle has proven that they can build a quality reel
at a reasonable price for others, but we have always hoped to see more from the
company's own branded offerings. For 2007 the company answers the call with a
complete lineup of new baitcasting reels that sport the "Pinnacle" brand.

The new Pinnacle flagship, the Pro
Select features all the best the company has to offer, including all metal
construction, a dual cast control system and a Trulon drag

Pinnacle Pro Select PSE10

Model

Bearing Count

Gear Ratio

Weight (oz)

Line Cap

PSE10

7BB+1RB

6.2:1

9.3

12/165

Pro
Select:
The Pro Select 10 rests at the top of the new Pinnacle lineup and features 8
stainless steel bearings, metal construction, an unlimited anti-reverse, a
titanium shielded line guide, audible click star drag, and multi-stack Trulon
drag system. Cast controls are tandem, and like the system found in many
Pflueger reels, it is both magnetic and centrifugal. The TCC (Tandem Cast
Control) makes use to the centrifugal system at the beginning of the cast and
the magnetic system throughout the cast. The MSRP for the PSE10 is $139.99. Many
anglers are not used to seeing a Pinnacle reel at this price point, and as of
right now it is quite difficult to find this reel on the market.

The cool
looking Sentara is basically a Pro Select reel minus the Tandem Cast Control

Pinnacle Sentara ST10

Model

Bearing Count

Gear Ratio

Weight (oz)

Line Cap

ST10

7BB+1RB

6.2:1

9.0

12/165

Sentara:
The Sentara features the same metal frame and metal gear box, and we love the
color of the reel, but the external cast control system found on the Pro Select
is absent from the reel. Instead the Sentara features a "Easy Dial" Centrifugal
brake system that reminds us of Daiwa's Centreflex design. The reel is a tad bit
lighter than the Pro Select due to the simpler cast control system. It features
the same titanium shielded line guide, audible click star drag, and multi stack
Trulon drag washers. The Sentara retails for 20 dollars less than the Pro Select
for $119.99.

The Extant has
a major drop in bearing count, and is the lowest priced new metal framed reel
from Pinnacle

Pinnacle Extant ELP10

Model

Bearing Count

Gear Ratio

Weight (oz)

Line Cap

ELP10

3BB+1RB

6.2:1

8.7

12/165

Extant:
The Extant makes use of the same sleek ergonomic metal frame as its two
aforementioned siblings and has all the same basic features as the Sentara but
with a major bearing drop down to 3BB + 1RB. It is only 15 dollars less in price
($104.99), which makes us wonder if there really is a market for this particular
reel. For such a minimal price delta we would opt for the Sentara or move to the
next reel in the Pinnacle lineup...the Super 7, which is in some ways a superior
reel to the Extant.

The Super 7
features external magnetic cast control and a reinforced graphite frame

Pinnacle Super 7 SS10

Model

Bearing Count

Gear Ratio

Weight (oz)

Line Cap

SS10

6BB+1RB

6.2:1

7.9

12/120

Super 7:
The Super 7 weighs in at a light 7.9oz, and the main reason for the large weight
difference between the Extant and the Super 7 is that the Super 7 features a
graphite frame. The Super 7 features an externally adjustable cast control
system, unlimited anti reverse, titanium shielded line guide, and an audible
click star drag. Interestingly the Super 7 features a much higher bearing count
than the more expensive Extant, ....you guessed it, 7 bearings total. The Super
7 has a MSRP of $74.99, but can be found on Cabelas for only $54.99.

Odd
positioning, the new Inertia has more bearings and yet is priced the same as the
Super 7

Pinnacle Inertia ISP10

Model

Bearing Count

Gear Ratio

Weight (oz)

Line Cap

ISP10

8BB+1RB

6.2:1

8.0

12/120

Inertia: The Inertia is a brand new reel that is positioned at
the same level as the Super 7. It features the same frame and magnetic cast
control system and gets a slight bump in bearing count. The reel retails for
$79.99, the exact same price as the Super 7. It isn't slated as a replacement
for the Super 7, but it certainly equates to a slightly up-spec Super 7. Given
the choice most anglers would opt for the Inertia even though it weighs just a
tad more than the Super 7. Unfortunately the Inertia is seemingly impossible to
find at this particular time.

The Solene takes
the bearing count down and is priced for mainstreamers

Pinnacle Solene SLP10

Model

Bearing Count

Gear Ratio

Weight (oz)

Line Cap

SLP10

5BB+1RB

6.2:1

7.8

12/120

Solene: The brightly colored Solene has the exact same
features as its siblings but with a 5BB + 1RB setup. All of these bearings are
stainless steel. The Solene's MSRP is only $59.99. Just when you thought this
was the last possible specification with the same body Pinnacle tosses in the
Platinum Plus for mainstream anglers.

The
Platinum Plus has one less bearing than the Solene and is 5 dollar less, talk
about close positioning

Pinnacle Platinum Plus LP100

Model

Bearing Count

Gear Ratio

Weight (oz)

Line Cap

LP100

4BB+1RB

6.2:1

8.8

12/120

Platinum Plus: Designed for the mainstream angler the Platinum
Plus features the same gear ratio as all of its siblings and has the same
graphite reinforced construction of the Solene. So what makes this reel any
different? How about one less bearing and a 5 dollar price delta. The Platinum
Plus retails for only $54.99. You may be asking yourself....why? Why are there
so many reels in the Pinnacle lineup with so little difference? The answer rests
in Pinnacle's OEM experience. To truly cater to the needs of their clients they
have to produce reels in every single class and price point, so that once a
retailer knows what application and price point they are looking to fill
Pinnacle can respond with a solution.

Conclusion: It is nice that Pinnacle has so
many new reels but at the same time we wonder if there is enough differentiation
between all these various reels to actually warrant so many models. Perhaps this
is one of the reason why so many of these reels cannot be found on e-tail sites,
they are simply just too similar. If you notice every single one of these new
reels sported the exact same gear ratio. We know that Pinnacle can build high
speed reels, they do so for the major catalogs. Because of the similarity of
these reels if an e-tail store just picks one of the metal construction reels
and one of the graphite variants they pretty much can cover the entire spectrum
of applications for those anglers willing to give Pinnacle a try. This is in
fact what the major catalog/e-tailers are doing, either with a re-badged
Pinnacle creation, or a branded Pinnacle reel. That said we are happy to see
that Pinnacle is indeed putting more emphasis on both the technology behind
their products and their own branded offering. While it may be difficult to
compete with their own OEM reels they produce for others, we certainly hope to
see more Pinnacle branded reels in the future. Success for their branded
solutions rests in better distribution of their products, as well as increased
differentiation between their branded and OEM product.